It’s Valentine’s Day, or should I say “San Valentino” as we call it in Italy.
Valentine’s Day is a festivity to celebrate love and express affection towards our soulmate. In English, there is primarily a single way of expressing love and gratitude to our loved ones which is through“ I love you”.
However, did you know that in Italian, we have multiple ways of expressing - I love you - to family, friends, and partners?
Here are the 15 ways of expressing I love you in Italian
1.“Ti Amo” - I love you
Ti amo is the standard way of expressing your love to your spouse or partner. It comes with a strong connotation and meaning. It represents long-term commitment, devotion, and passion. This expression can only be used if you are in a romantic relationship
2.“Ti amo con tutto il cuore”- I love you with all my heart
If you want to go to the next level and be cheesier, “ti amo con tutto il cuore” has a deeper meaning than “ti amo”. It means we put all our heart to love someone. Again this expression is used in a romantic relationship
3.“Ti amo cosi tanto” - I love you so much
When you add “cosi tanto” to ti amo, you intensify the depth of your love for a person, indicating that you are very much in love with them.
4.“Ti amo da morire”- I love you to death
You often hear the phrase “ti amero’ per sempre” when someone is about to get married, declaring their long-term commitment by expressing eternal love. “Amero’ ” is in the future tense.
5.“Ti amero’ per sempre” - I will always love you
You typically hear this phrase - “ti amero’ per sempre” when someone is about to get married and typically declare their long-term commitment by saying that they will love their other half forever.
6.“Ti amero’ con tutta me stessa” - I will love you with all of myself
Again it is a phrase that represents long-term commitment in a relationship. It means you will love someone with all of yourself and your soul for the rest of your life.
7.“Ti amero’ tutta la mia vita” - I will love you all my life
This phrase is a strong declaration to love someone forever and for the rest of their life until death sets them apart. It is a promise one made to him/her self to love the other person unconditionally and forever.
8.“Sono innamorato/a di te” -I am in love with you
If you have fallen in love with someone and you want to express your love for her/him, you would typically say: “Sono innamorato di te” (if you are male) or “sono innamorata di te” ( if you are a female). “Sono innamorato/a di te” is a common way of declaring your love to someone. It means you have developed strong feelings to turn this relationship into something serious.
9.“Sono innamorato/a pazzo/a di te”- I am madly in love with you
If you are madly and crazily in love with someone, and you can't live without them, you would say “Sono innamorato/a pazzo/a di te”.
You can typically use this expression at the beginning of the relationship when something is relatively new and fresh or even at the peak of your relationship. It signifies something of a much more intense level.
10.“Sono follemente innamorato/a di te” - I am crazily in love with you
This expression is very similar to the previous one and is used in the same context to express how deeply and madly you love someone.
11.“Amore mio” - My love
It's a playful way to call your better half or even your children lovingly. The meaning is very similar to when we call someone honey. Instead of saying honey, you call them by saying “Amore mio”
12.“Ti voglio bene” - I love you, but among friends and family
“Ti voglio bene” doesn't have an English equivalent. It means I love you but with a lighter tone than “Ti Amo”. This expression is usually reserved for friends, colleagues, and family, and not for romantic relationships.
13.“Ti voglio un mondo di bene”- I want a world of good for you
The literal translation of this phrase is “ I want a world of good for you”. However, it just means how much we love someone in a non-romantic way. It has a deeper meaning than the previous expression. You typically use this with friends or family.
14.“Ti voglio un bene dell’anima” - I love you with all my soul
Again this expression is commonly used among friends and family to express our love for them. We wouldn’t use it in a non-romantic way. It means to love someone with our soul.
15.“Mi piace” - I like you
For those who haven't found their better half, but fancy someone, you can simply express how much you like or appreciate someone by saying “mi piace”.
Mi piace is very commonly used when you have started to date someone and you have started to like them. Typically it is a phrase used at the first stage of a romantic relationship with an underlying message that you want to keep dating them.
With the myriad ways of expressing love, no wonder why Italian holds the title of being a romantic language.
Now that you've learned these many expressions, why not try using one today to declare your love or affection to someone?
A presto ( see you soon!)
